Terms of Service

Welcome to Velvet Grounds. These Terms of Service govern your use of our website and services. By accessing or using our website, you agree to be bound by these terms. If you disagree with any part of these terms, please discontinue use of our services.

We reserve the right to update these terms at any time. Your continued use of our services after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the modified terms.

Service Usage Terms

Acceptable Use Policy

When using our website and services, you agree to:

Provide accurate and truthful information when requested
Use our services only for lawful purposes
Respect the intellectual property rights of Velvet Grounds and others
Not engage in any activity that disrupts or interferes with our services
Maintain the confidentiality of any account credentials you may receive
Notify us promptly of any unauthorized use of your account

Prohibited Uses

You may not use our services to:

Transmit any unlawful, threatening, abusive, or otherwise objectionable content
Impersonate any person or entity or misrepresent your affiliation
Interfere with or disrupt our servers or networks
Attempt to gain unauthorized access to our systems or user accounts
Collect or harvest information about other users without consent
Use automated systems or software to extract data from our website
Engage in any commercial use without our express written permission

Service Access Requirements

To use certain features of our services, you may need to:

Meet minimum age requirements (18 years or older)
Provide valid contact information
Have access to necessary technology and internet connection
Accept additional terms for specific services or consultations

Fair Usage Guidelines

We strive to provide equitable access to our services for all users. Excessive or abusive use that impacts service availability for others may result in temporary suspension or termination of access. We determine fair usage based on typical patterns and reserve the right to address anomalous behavior.

Account Terms

Account Creation

When you create an account or register for our services, you agree to provide accurate, complete, and current information. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activities that occur under your account.

Account Security

You are responsible for:

Choosing a strong password and keeping it secure
Notifying us immediately of any unauthorized access
Ensuring your contact information remains current
Logging out from your account after each session on shared devices

Account Suspension and Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account if:

You violate these Terms of Service
Your account is inactive for an extended period
We suspect fraudulent or illegal activity
We discontinue the service or make substantial modifications

You may terminate your account at any time by contacting us. Upon termination, your right to use our services ceases immediately.

Multiple Account Policy

Unless expressly authorized, you may not create multiple accounts for the same individual. We reserve the right to merge duplicate accounts or suspend accounts created in violation of this policy.

Service Availability and Modifications

Service Uptime and Maintenance

We strive to provide reliable and continuous access to our services. However, our services may occasionally be unavailable due to:

Scheduled maintenance and updates
Technical difficulties or system failures
Circumstances beyond our reasonable control
Security incidents requiring immediate attention

We will make reasonable efforts to notify users of planned maintenance in advance.

Feature Availability

Certain features or services may be available only to specific users or during particular periods. We reserve the right to modify, add, or remove features at our discretion. Premium features may require additional fees or subscriptions.

Geographic Restrictions

Our services are intended for users in regions where we actively operate. Some features or products may not be available in all locations due to legal, regulatory, or logistical constraints. We reserve the right to limit service availability based on geographic location.

Service Modifications and Updates

We continuously work to improve our services and may modify, update, or discontinue features at any time without prior notice. We are not liable for any modification, suspension, or discontinuance of our services. Changes may include pricing adjustments, service offerings, and operational procedures.

Payment and Subscription Terms

For services requiring payment:

Pricing: All prices are listed in USD and are subject to change. We will notify you of pricing changes before they take effect for existing subscriptions.
Payment Processing: Payments are processed through secure third-party payment processors. You authorize us to charge your selected payment method for all fees incurred.
Subscriptions: Subscription services renew automatically unless canceled before the renewal date. You are responsible for managing your subscription and canceling if desired.
Refunds: Refund policies vary by service type and are provided at the time of purchase. Generally, services already rendered are non-refundable.
Failed Payments: If payment fails, we may suspend access to paid services until payment is received. We are not responsible for fees charged by your financial institution.

Intellectual Property Rights

Content Ownership

All content on our website, including but not limited to text, graphics, logos, images, audio clips, video clips, and software, is the property of Velvet Grounds or our content suppliers and is protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

User-Generated Content Rights

When you submit content to us (such as reviews, testimonials, or feedback), you grant Velvet Grounds a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to:

Use, reproduce, and display your content
Modify or adapt your content for marketing and promotional purposes
Distribute your content across our platforms and third-party services

You represent that you have all necessary rights to grant this license and that your content does not violate any third-party rights.

License Grants

We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to access and use our services for personal, non-commercial purposes. This license does not include any right to resell, redistribute, or create derivative works from our content.

Copyright and Trademark Notices

Velvet Grounds, our logo, and related marks are trademarks of Velvet Grounds. You may not use these marks without our prior written permission. All other trademarks appearing on our website are the property of their respective owners.

Disclaimer of Warranties

OUR SERVICES ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

Warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement
Warranties that our services will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free
Warranties regarding the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of content
Warranties that defects will be corrected or that our services are free of viruses

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of certain warranties, so some of these limitations may not apply to you.

Limitation of Liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, VELVET GROUNDS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR:

Any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages
Loss of profits, data, use, goodwill, or other intangible losses
Damages resulting from unauthorized access to or alteration of your transmissions or data
Statements or conduct of any third party on our services
Any other matter relating to our services

Our total liability for any claim arising from your use of our services shall not exceed the amount you paid to us, if any, in the twelve months preceding the claim.

Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Velvet Grounds, its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from your use of our services, violation of these terms, or infringement of any third-party rights.

Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

Governing Law

These Terms of Service shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the jurisdiction in which Velvet Grounds operates, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

Dispute Resolution Procedures

In the event of any dispute arising from these terms or our services:

We encourage you to contact us first to seek an informal resolution
If informal resolution fails, disputes may be submitted to mediation
Any unresolved disputes shall be subject to binding arbitration or litigation as appropriate
You agree to waive any right to participate in class action lawsuits

Severability Clause

If any provision of these terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision shall be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary so that the remaining provisions remain in full force and effect.

Modification of Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms of Service at any time. When we make changes, we will:

Update the "Last updated" date at the top of these terms
Notify users of material changes through email or prominent website notice
Provide reasonable time for you to review changes before they take effect

Your continued use of our services after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the modified terms. If you do not agree to the changes, you must discontinue use of our services.